Charles F. Stanley Scripture: Luke 24:1-9 I. Introduction: Our Lord rose from the dead. That amazing fact should directly impact our daily lives. Instead of living for ourselves, we should focus on Jesus and passionately tell others about the gift of eternal life. II. Message: Why should the resurrection inspire us? Jesus is alive. He is seated at the right hand of God the Father. Christianity is unlike any other faith because He rose from the dead. His Spirit lives inside each believer. He guides, strengthens, heals and cares for us; He provides for us, and listens to our prayers. We are forgiven and eternally secure. Only Christs death on the cross can pay for humanitys sin. Our faith differs from other religions because salvation rests on what Jesus did for us, not our good works or self-denial. The moment we accept Jesus as our personal Savior, we become children of God—forever. We confess our sins, not to maintain our salvation, but to stay in fellowship with Him (1 John 1:9). We will live forever. Believers will enjoy everlasting life in the kingdom of God. While people who dont know Christ will also exist forever, they will be eternally tormented in hell. For the believer, physical death is simply a door into eternal life. Thats why memorial services for believers can be joyous occasions. For Christians, there is a resurrection unto life. Our bodies will be changed from perishable to imperishable (1 Cor. 15:50-54; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 John 3:1-2). In substance, our bodies will be like the Jesus resurrected body—not limited by time, space, or matter. Heaven will be our eternal home. The earth will be completely transformed into part of Gods heavenly kingdom. We will serve the Lord forever, ruling with Him. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us (John 14:1-2). At the rapture, believers who are still living will be caught up in the air with Christians who have died (1 Thess. 4:13-17). We will live in heaven with our saved loved ones. We cant truly understand how wonderful heaven will be. Its beyond our earthly comprehension. We can face tomorrow because Jesus has risen from the grave. Jesus said, I will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5). Because Christ is with us, we can face trials with confidence. We have the assurance that our high priest sympathizes with our weaknesses (Heb. 4:15-16). III. Closing: As believers, we have the responsibility to share the gospel. Stop focusing on yourself and your needs, and trust God to provide for you. Share the inspiring message of the resurrection. All rights reserved. intouch.org. In Touch grants permission to print for personal use only
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 11:09:23 +0000
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